Council Meeting: Twinsburg City Council Elects New Leaders, Welcomes K‑9 Beny, Advances 2026 Budget

TWINSBURG , Ohio – The Dec. 2 Twinsburg City Council meeting marked a changing of the gavel, the formal introduction of the city’s newest K‑9 team, and continued work on the 2026 budget and other key legislation for the community. The Twinsburg City Council met at City Hall following an earlier Finance Committee session that continued budget discussions for the coming year. Twinsburg City Council Sets 2026 Leadership and Committees The meeting opened with outgoing Council President David Post calling the session to order and then overseeing the annual reorganization required by the city charter. Council unanimously elected Ward 5 representative Greg Bellan as the new council president for 2026. Post, who led council through 2025, nominated Bellan and later received a plaque recognizing his year of service. “The City of Twinsburg wishes to thank David Post for his service as president of the Twinsburg City Council in 2025,” Bellan read from the plaque as he presented it. Several colleagues praised Post for keeping “law and order” in the council chambers and for the way he managed meetings throughout the year. Council then chose Ward 3 representative Karen Labbe as vice president. Both leadership votes were 7–0. Bellan also announced the 2026 committee assignments , which keep all seven members engaged across multiple boards and commissions: Chuck Bonacci – Architectural Review Board, Public Safety, Fitness Advisory Greg Bellan – Finance, Public Works, Public Safety, School Board Relations Daisy Walker – JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion), Public Safety, Fitness Advisory Bill Furey – Finance, Public Works, Tax Incentive Review Karen Labbe – Planning Commission, Finance, Volunteer Firemen Shaun Castillo – Board of Zoning Appeals, Public Works, Capital Improvements David Post – Environmental Commission, Parks & Recreation, School Board Relations New at‑large council member Shaun Castillo participated in his first full meeting, thanking colleagues and residents for the opportunity to serve and saying he’s eager to “jump into” his assigned committees. K‑9 Beny Joins Twinsburg Police Department One of the night’s most visible moments came when the Twinsburg Police Department introduced its newest K‑9 team: Officer Maggie Hunter and K‑9 Beny . Police Chief (speaking at the podium) explained that Beny is the city’s sixth police dog since 1995 and will work alongside the department’s existing K‑9, Caesar. With a typical seven‑ to eight‑year service life for police dogs, city officials began planning to add a new K‑9 while Caesar nears retirement, with the option to expand the program in the future. Hunter, a seven‑and‑a‑half‑year department veteran with a military and medical background, described nine weeks of intensive training with Beny. The team earned certification in: Narcotics detection Suspect apprehension Building searches Beny, a year‑and‑a‑half‑old dog from Czechoslovakia, currently weighs about 72 pounds and is expected to grow another 10 to 15 pounds. Hunter noted that late in the training they focused on teaching Beny not only to “bite” on command but also to reliably release when told. She also publicly thanked Twinsburg residents Jim and Louise Sussnick , whose donation through the K‑9 Brady Fund paid for Beny’s protective vest. Council members and Mayor Sam Scaffide welcomed the team, calling the K‑9 unit an “invaluable tool” for public safety and thanking residents for supporting the program. Budget, Cybersecurity and Employee Pay Move Forward The Dec. 2 Twinsburg City Council meeting followed a Finance Committee work session earlier that evening, where members continued their deep dive into the 2026 operating budget. During the regular meeting, council moved through a slate of legislation, much of it tied to financial planning and city operations: Ordinance 115‑2025 – The 2026 Permanent Appropriation Ordinance , covering ordinary and necessary expenses for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2026, advanced on second reading . Ordinance 116‑2025 – A new citywide cybersecurity policy for Twinsburg also remained on second reading , signaling that council will continue to review details before final passage. Ordinance 117‑2025 – An ordinance affirming the annual wage increase for full‑time non‑bargaining employees effective Jan. 1, 2026, likewise stayed on second reading . Council left several other measures on second reading as well, including: Ordinance 118‑2025 – Updating Chapter 111 (“Council”) to provide council clothing allowances and the authority to grant outgoing elected officials a lifetime individual fitness center membership and/or their city‑issued electronic device. Ordinance 120‑2025 – Accepting the bid of AMS Landscaping LLC for the Waterford Pond Dredging Phase 1 project, an infrastructure effort that will address sediment buildup and improve stormwater management. New items received a first reading, including: Resolution 121‑2025 – Confirming the reappointment of Sheila W